1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to the association of electronic monitoring security devices to specific alerts in a security-monitoring platform. More specifically, it relates to a security-monitoring platform having the ability to associate a particular electronic monitoring security device to another electronic monitoring security device and/or a specific alert on the fly and learn that association for future automated camera display.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Securing an asset or facility often requires more than single security system. Ideally, there should exist several security systems all monitored and controlled by a single security-monitoring platform (SMP). Security systems include, but are not limited to, video systems to provide a view of what is happening at the location, door access control systems to control who can access the location or areas within, intrusion detection systems to detect intruders (for example motion detection sensors detecting body heat), audio systems to provide one-way or two-way audio communications, lone worker GPS-enabled devices with a panic button for guards, and situational awareness systems to provide information outside of traditional alarm sources such as earthquake and weather warnings.
SMPs are often employed to help monitor and control the various electronic monitoring security devices provided by the security systems. An electronic monitoring security device includes, but is not limited to any alarm source, video source, output, or audio source connected to any security system.
The SMP is designed to integrate several security systems into a single platform. As shown in FIG. 1, security system 101, and in turn its electronic monitoring security devices 102-105, are in communication with SMP 107 using manufacturer's application programming interface (API) 106. Once connected, the SMP operator is capable of interacting with the particular electronic monitoring security devices 102-105 provided by each system 101 (i.e. receive alarms from the alarm devices 103, view live video from camera devices 102, control the outputs of output devices 104, and transmit/receive audio from audio devices 105). FIG. 1 provides a simplified illustration of SMP 107 communicating with only a single security system 101, however, SMPs are intended to operate with several security systems to provide a fully integrated platform.
The electronic monitoring security devices are preferably strategically arranged with respect to one another to provide the SMP operator with optimal situational awareness. For example, FIG. 2 provides a simplistic illustration of room 201's security measures where every alarm source 202, 204 is caught in the view frame of a camera 203, 205, respectively. As a result, an SMP operator can fetch a specific camera feed to view the source of an alarm-triggering alert.
When working with a limited number of electronic monitoring security devices, a system operator may easily memorize which devices provide situational awareness for each alert, such as which camera provides a view of a particular alarm source. In contrast, when the system operator is responsible for hundreds or even thousands of alarm sources and cameras, it is nearly impossible for an operator to memorize even just the cameras associated with each alarm source. The current state of the art, as shown in FIG. 3, addresses this issue by requiring operator 307 to manually create relationships between each camera 304, 306 and each alarm source 303, 305 in the data store 302 prior to launching SMP 301.
The problem with the current art is that the associations between one or more electronic monitoring security device and/or alerts (i.e. cameras and alarm sources) must be manually inputted before fully implementing the security system and monitoring platform. As previously noted, some security systems include hundreds or even thousands of electronic monitoring security devices, resulting in an extensive amount of time and money to properly associate each security alert with one or more electronic monitoring security devices prior to operation. In addition, any updates to the electronic monitoring security devices in operation or inclusions of additional electronic monitoring security devices requires a manual association update, which may necessitate an operator to visit the site to determine the correct associations.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method to reduce the time and effort needed to create and maintain an association between each electronic monitoring security device association and another electronic monitoring security device and/or a security alert. However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the field of this invention how the shortcomings of the prior art could be overcome.
All referenced publications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Furthermore, where a definition or use of a term in a reference, which is incorporated by reference herein, is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate disclosure of the invention, Applicants in no way disclaim these technical aspects, and it is contemplated that the claimed invention may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.
The present invention may address one or more of the problems and deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. However, it is contemplated that the invention may prove useful in addressing other problems and deficiencies in a number of technical areas. Therefore, the claimed invention should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed herein.
In this specification, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge, or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.